MVP, All-Missota Conference, All-State in 2010
Last spring the Tigers put together a very successful season. They won the Missota Conference indoor meet, placed third at the league outdoor championships and ranked fifth in a quality Section 1AA field.
With 14 letterwinners back from the 2010 squad, coach Tom Hart is looking for more of the same success in 2011.
"We look to be deep on the track and in some of our field events," he said. "We have many new, young athletes who are hungry and challenging for varsity positions. I think we have a shot at finishing near the top of the conference and being in at least the top five in the section again."
The list of returnees includes just three seniors: jumper Jordan Bridges; middle distance runner Nicole Clifton and sprinter/jumper Erin Hickey.
Returning underclassmen letterwinners include juniors Jessica Arey (sprints/jumps), Abby Haugen (jumps/vault), Bailey Opsal (distance) and Alyssa Parco (hurdles/sprints.jumps); sophomores Alexa Frost (mid-distance), Courtney Johnston (sprints); Maria Kiminski (mid-distance/jumps) and Nadia Lorencz (jumps/hurdles/vault), freshmen Maria Pacheco (distance)and Maddie Strid (mid-distance/jumps) and eighth-grader Victoria Jacoby (distance).
Other upperclassmen expected to vie for varsity positions include seniors Mary Cline, Kayla Long and Nadia Perdomo and juniors Elizabeth Jenny, Elizabeth Okikiolu, Leah Rohde, Shelby Schillerstrom and Kayla Watne.
*For a complete listing of underclassmen hopefuls, see bottom of page.
Parco, last season's Most Valuable Player, brings an impressive set of credentials to her junior season, having won all-Missota Conference and All-State honors as a sophomore. Arey, Hickey, Kiminski and Lorencz were also all-Missota performers last spring with Hickey, Kiminski and Lorencz all appearing in the state meet.
If there are question marks concerning the season ahead, they revolve around the field events.
"We are young as far as throwers and pole vaulters go," Hart said, "but we have lots of excitement and competitive drive going in those events."
Hart and Tiger boys head coach Brian Helmstetter will work specifically with sprints, jumps and relay events and rely on a mostly veteran corps of assistants for help in others.
Varsity assistants include Joe McCarthy (mid-distance); Lisa Lippold (distance); Julian Buss (pole vault/sprints); Maggie Endersbe (hurdles/sprints) and Justyn Helgeson (throws).
The Tigers kick off their home season with a co-ed quadrangular on April 12 and close it on May 26 when they for the first time host the Missota Conference Championships.
"We're excited to have the conference meet on our new track," Hart said.
*Sophomores: Melanie Brothers, Megan Butje, Gwendolen Dunst, Cassidy Gerber, Cailie Kittleson, Jessica Lee-Jones, Kelsey Lindell, Kiana Lord, Laura Madtson, Victoria Oettinger, Taylor Schmaltz, Kassy Seegert and Leah Zak.
Freshmen: Sedona Anderson, Kathryn Beckett, Nikki Cayard, Corale Cobb, Elizabeth Cummings, Averi Davis, Tahra Eckert, Kelli Elmer, Izzie Ferm, Alysha Grebner, Shaye Jenrich, Abby Kampa, Kelly Kornmann, Sirena Rodriguez, Hannah Seitzinger and Mikayla Todd.
Eighth-graders: Meghan Graham and Sarah Cummings
Seventh-grader: Marciella Pacheco.
